Features of young women’s self-attitude in the aspect of perceptions of ideal beauty


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This paper investigates the features of self-attitude and perceptions of ideal beauty among young women with negative and positive perceptions of their own appearance. The problem of body and appearance dissatisfaction deserves close attention due to its high prevalence and profound destructive effects. It directly undermines the psychological well-being of young women, being a cause of not only low self-esteem and negative self-perception but also maladaptive behavioral strategies. The empirical study involved 50 young women aged 20–34. The method of projective storytelling was used as the primary research technique. The processing of respondents’ narratives was conducted using content analysis and Fisher’s angular transformation. A comparative analysis of perceptions of ideal beauty revealed that for the group of young women dissatisfied with their appearance, a focus on external attributes (such as attractive facial features and a perfect body) is characteristic, as well as heightened sensitivity to issues of gender discrimination based on appearance. At the same time, young women with a positive perception of their appearance were significantly more likely to associate the concept of beauty with the development of spiritual potential. This indicates that acceptance of one’s own appearance provides freedom from stereotypical beauty standards, opening the way for a deeper and more meaningful self-perception. The results of the study demonstrate that a negative body image acts not as an isolated problem but as a complex factor deforming the holistic system of self-attitude in young women.

About the authors

Aleksandra A. Nikitina

Minin Nizhny Novgorod State Pedagogical University

Author for correspondence.
Email: aleksa-nik08@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-3332-9163

PhD (Psychology), assistant professor of Chair of Practical Psychology

603002, Russia, Nizhny Novgorod, Ulyanov Street, 1

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